US extends comment period on new renewable fuels rule

02 July 2009 21:15[Source: ICIS news]

WASHINGTON (ICIS news)--The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday extended the public comment period on its proposal to implement a new biofuels production and consumption mandate, saying multiple parties asked for the delay.

Current ?xml:namespace>US bio-ethanol production is about 10.5bn gal/year, almost wholly based on corn. The nation has another 2bn gal/year of grain-ethanol production capacity that is idle due to the recession, lower fuel prices and lower demand.

The rules proposed by the EPA would establish annual percentage-based standards that refiners, importers and blenders of gasoline and diesel fuel would have to use to meet the 36bn gal/year goal set for 2022.